A...B...Curacao!
- Keeds
- Dec 20, 2019
- 9 min read
One of the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), Curacao is known for its beautiful clear water beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving. Curacao was on my travel to-do list for a few years and I made it there in 2018. The trip was right on time as we went three weeks after my fiance proposed. It was also right after his grad school graduation and birthday so we had a lot to celebrate!
I did a lot of research preparing for our trip and I was extremely happy with everything! We stayed in the Pietermaai district which is a great walkable part of town; ate delicious food; swam in the clear blue waters and even visited a liquor distillery. There was so much to do, that we didn't put a dent in my list because the hotel was equally as enjoyable and we got some much needed downtime. The hotel itself offered a great deal of beautiful pictorial views, which made for fun photo shoots almost every time we stepped foot out of our room.
Below is my guide to you on Curacao!
Where to Stay:
Where you stay is one of the most important pieces to planning your trip. It will affect the other decisions you need to make such as "will we need a car?" After researching various areas, hotels and rental villas in Curacao I decided on Avila Beach Hotel. This was the best choice for us since we were traveling as a couple. There were some beautiful villas I would have opted for if going in a group. I absolutely loved Avila! It was in the Pietermaai district which is a beautiful walkable neighborhood with restaurants and bars in walking distance, surrounded by colorful architecture. The hotel also had beachfront access and a pool. Avila offers a variety of rooms, suites and full apartments, I chose the Blueswing room. There are about 10 Blueswing rooms and they are all out on a pier so your room is essentially on top of the ocean. If you're lucky you'll get one of the rooms right in front exhibiting beautiful 360 views of the water. Ours was second from the front so we still had a gorgeous view. The early morning sunrise view is magnificent. My fiance, myself and the little iguanas that joined us every morning on the outer balcony railing, couldn’t resist watching the sunrise while sipping tea, a morning ritual of our stay.
Blueswing rooms are best for two people as they come with King size beds. They also have two arm chairs and a small bench. The room has a small fridge, silverware, plates and glasses. We walked over to a convenience store a block away from the hotel to stock our fridge with libations and water. Avila also offers apartment style suites with full kitchens. There is a supermarket about a 3-5 minute drive away to stock the kitchen. While we were there they were doing renovations on some of the apartments so I can imagine they are beautiful and updated! For more on Avila Beach Hotel, check out my review here https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147278-d148585-r588384900-Avila_Beach_Hotel-Willemstad_Curacao.html
From Avila you can walk down to the Punda area which is a shopping district in Willemstead. On your way you will pass colorful homes and buildings which also make for perfect photo ops. We took advantage of these photo ops for an impromptu shoot while we walked. Can you tell that I’m a traveler that loves to couple the hobby with photography? In the Punda area you will find the CURACAO sign (don't forget to snap a pic!) and you can also walk across the Queen Emma Bridge, also known as the Floating Bridge. The Queen Emma Bridge crosses St. Anna Bay and connects the Punda and Otrobanda districts of Willemstead. The Queen Emma Bridge is set on a beautiful back drop of colorful buildings reminiscent of Amsterdam...by the way, did I mention Curacao is a Dutch Caribbean island? Well it is, so this makes sense! We were trying to make it to the Aquarium the day we walked to the bridge so we did not walk all the way across. Just enough to snap some photos. You can feel and see it moving while you are on it. We also had lunch at a restaurant in the area.
We decided not to rent a car for our whole trip. From my research I knew we were able to walk a lot of places and the places we could not walk to were not far by taxi. Most taxis in Curacao were $15 for a 10-15 minute trip. Depending on your plans a car may come in hand. We rented a car for one day (overnight) as I knew the best beaches are on the West side of the island. We rented from the Budget Rent a Car which was located in the Avila lobby. This was strictly for convenience as it was pricier than some other options I researched but made sense for us since only using for one night. There was a gas station right across from the supermarket so it was quick trip to fill the car back up and return it the next day. Driving on the island was not bad at all. We used the maps.me app which will navigate when you are not online (download ahead of time).
Where to Beach
As I mentioned above Curacao is known for their beautiful beaches, clear water, scuba diving, snorkeling and water sports. One thing I wish I would have done was brought our own snorkel equipment. Even at our hotel I saw fish in the water. The beach was man made and enclosed but you could go further out in the ocean where it opens out. I did not go that far but I am sure I would have seen beautiful coral and even more fish.
For our beach day we drove out to Playa Kenepa also known as Klein Kenepa or Knip Beach. Playa Kenepa is comprised of two beaches Kenepa Chiki (the smaller) and Kenepa Grandi (the larger). We visited Kenepa Grandi. Playa Kenepa was about a 40 minute drive from the Pietermaii district. We stopped for food at a local restaurant on the way there. Food is the staple and part of the identity of any country. This local restaurant was very local. I recall it being right next door to a car wash/gas station. They were so close that I thought they were all one establishment. We got there early in the afternoon, they must have just opened. The food was absolutely amazing. The fiance had oxtails and I had stew chicken. I can’t stress how great the food was. There were lots of locals so I knew it would be good and I was not disappointed. I unfortunately did not get the name. We stopped on a whim while driving, which always adds to the adventure!
Kenepa Beach was wonderful. The water felt amazing and was clear. Bring water shoes because it was rocky. We forgot ours (I have to do better) but were fine. They rent snorkel equipment at the beach for $15 so again having our own would have come in handy. I was still able to see some fish without it. There was a small stand selling food and drinks but we brought our own. They also have tables available if you want to have a meal. We rented two chairs and an umbrella for $30. Cliff jumping is also an option and while we saw some people partaking we did not. The fiance can’t swim and getting him to partake in water activities with me has been difficult ever since the little incident in Anguilla. I’ll tell you about that some other time though. There is no lifeguard on duty at Kenepa Beach so jump at your own risk! We left right before 5pm and I believe that is when they close, for the chairs and umbrellas at least. There was a mix of tourists and locals but it was not too crowded. We visited on a Saturday afternoon. Some beaches charge a small fee when visiting so keep that in mind. Hope you enjoy the pics!
There is also Mambo/Seaquarium Beach, right next to the Aquarium. Here you'll find a lot of people, a boardwalk with shops, restaurants, bars, music, everything you need for a good time. We visited Mambo Beach after trying to go to the Aquarium. We did not get in the water but hung out and had some drinks at one of the beach bars.
Some other beaches you can check out on the island are Playa Forti; Jan Thiel Beach (residential neighborhood) and Blue Bay Beach (on Blue Bay resort).
Where and What to Eat
Curacao did not disappoint when it comes to food! I'll start with Avila. They have a buffet breakfast which we enjoyed on two days of our trip. There are lots of options and we did not get tired of it. I surprised my fiance with a dinner on the beach our first night there. Avila worked with me beforehand on setting it up and besides the beautiful scenery and watching the sunset, the food was amazing. The Pen, an open air restaurant, on Avila's property, catered the dinner. It was a four course meal, Chef's Choice. Our main course was lamb and it was very tender and savory. It also came with a whole tray of decadent desserts for the two of us. Our second time dining at The Pen was for their Saturday night BBQ. They hold this weekly and there is also live music. There are a variety of meats to choose from in addition to seafood if you are not a meat fan. There are many sides and an assortment of desserts, you will not leave hungry.
We walked down to Kome for dinner one night and it was wonderful. We did not have reservations so we had a short wait. By the time we got the drinks we ordered at the bar our table was ready, not a long wait at all. The restaurant is beautifully designed and is two floors. I ordered the fish of the day and my fiance had the short rib. Both were delicious with filling portions. The drinks were pretty good too. They also have a brunch menu on the weekends if you want to check them out then.
On our last morning we ate at St. Tropez OceanClub. We originally planned on coming for dinner during our trip but did not make it so we came for breakfast instead. St. Tropez is also a hotel with a good bar/nightlife scene. It was a quick walk from Avila. The views are absolutely beautiful. The restaurant is on the water and you can hear the waves crashing against the rocks as you eat. We did not make a reservation but did not have a wait. Our meals were both filling. I had the French Bread Curacao style. If you are a fan of cheese you will enjoy as it was smothered in cheese. My fiance had the Omelette Salmon which was also good. My mimosa had fresh squeezed orange juice and it was just delightful. Great last meal before heading back to the States. St. Tropez also has sushi night on Monday if you're in town.
We tried a couple other bars and restaurants in the Pietermaai district and enjoyed them all. Some places I wrote down but did not get to check out are:
La Boheme- Willemstead, great for breakfast; Hafi Cas Cora- brunch, only open on weekends, healthy options; Chill Beach Bar- Happy Hour Friday 5p-6p; BBQ Express Food Truck- opens after 9, great for late night eats
Activities
The fiance is not a beach bum like me so I always find other activities for us on our trips. For Curacao we decided on the Aquarium, he loves animals, and the Curacao liqueur distillery (no explanation needed). Throughout this post I've mentioned us "trying" to go to the Aquarium. I knew the hours, daily 8am-5pm, but did not know they stop entry at 4pm. We were running behind from the days' activities, got there at about 4:10 and were not able to go in. Keep that in mind if you plan on going. The distillery was fun and informative. They have different tour options to choose from and I suggest booking ahead of time. We originally planned on doing the Blue Curacao Experience tour but it was full when I called ahead so we did the Deluxe Guided tour and we enjoyed it! Our tour was also full once we got started so definitely make a reservation. Our tour came with two free drink tickets and ice cream afterwards in the garden. We spoke with a couple who did the Blue Curacao Experience tour who said it was not necessarily worth it as the major difference was they got to make their own drink, which could also be fun. It was a fun experience but I would probably not go again unless I'm with a group who wanted to go. Also, the liqueur was a few dollars cheaper in duty free. We purchased from the distillery and packed in our checked luggage home.
A few other activities you can look into are sunset cruises, charter sails to visit the small island of Klein Curacao where you can swim with turtles, and of course scuba diving and snorkeling throughout the island. If you're looking for nightlife check out Zanzibar, Mambo Beach and Cabana Beach.
I really enjoyed Curacao and would go back again. I think it is great for couples, families or girls trips! It is an easy island to get around and the people were all very friendly. English, Dutch and Papiamento are the languages spoken in Curacao and communication was not a problem. Papiamento is a Creole language with elements of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English and French. If you're interested in visiting Curacao and would like my help in planning your trip, message me at keepupwithkeeds@gmail.com.
Ayo Curacao! (Bye Curacao in Papiamento)
Comments